Who is Bruno Rocha, the Brazilian who appears on Instagram as Hugo Gloss?

During the interview with CLAUDIA, Bruno Rocha he was serious, focused and obstinate. The combination of features ensured, in part, the success of the 32-year-old CEO (as he defines his position), who is at the head of a powerhouse of entertainment communication – including website, social networks and participation in TV programs. The live attitude really differs from the cool and fun personality of the internet, but that doesn’t mean that what you see on the screens is a lie. On the contrary, good humor is the rule and a draw for the more than 12 million followers he has on Instagram.

Bruno, however, differs from many digital influencers because he doesn’t use comedy to mask shallow and uncertain investigations. “I have a degree in communication and I’m studying all the time. I never arrive unprepared for an interview or event”, says he, who studied journalism and letters and did a postgraduate degree in communication in Spain.

“Even so, prejudice still exists. People generalize, they think it’s not a profession. I’ve heard: ‘Oh, you’re that guy who writes about celebrities’.” Not that Bruno minds that kind of comment. After all, his time is practically all occupied – he leads a team of two editors, five writers, in addition to the finance and legal sectors. This structure is maintained remotely, each in a different state. “I hate the office. When I worked steady, I found those 50 meetings that could be resolved with an email exhausting. Today, it would only help to have a space to reduce the number of packages that fill my living room”, he says about the gifts and samples he receives from brands.

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Bruno has been leading this digital life since long before Brazil had at least one smartphone per person. In 2007, he created a Twitter profile with the name Christian Pior (same as Evandro Santo’s character in Pânico na TV). The network was becoming popular, attracting celebrities, becoming the subject of TV reports, and Bruno’s following grew. He commented on Brazilian programs he watched on an app from Barcelona, ​​where he lived at the time. “I always loved television and I have a good memory, so I made references, put content in the analyses”, recalls Bruno, who dreamed of being the author of soap operas.

In 2009, to avoid public confusion with Christian Pior played by Evandro, he changed the name of his account. “Christian Pior comes from Christian Dior, it’s a joke. So I made a list of these branded puns. There was Dolce me fan, versatile Donatello”, he says. But was Hugo Gloss who won the dispute and fell in people’s taste.

Shortly afterwards, Bruno’s profile was discovered by Luciano Huck, presenter of Caldeirão do Huck, one of the blogger’s favorites. Without shyness, Bruno asked the carioca for a place on his team and became a writer at Rede Globo. “I made my dream come true by riding a golf cart at Projac”, he laughs. His first job was to watch all episodes of Caldeirão and prepare special material for the 10th anniversary. “There are 52 programs per year. I watched the tapes and transcribed the coolest parts. It was every pearl. I turned late nights, but I loved it, ”he recalls.

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In his free time, he used his social networks. In 2013, with the help of a friend, she launched the site so she could publish longer content. She wrote at least ten notes a day. The dedication resulted in invitations to participate in parties, premieres and trips. “Some actions paid up to three times my salary, but it took me a while to give up the program because I maintained a relationship of affection and affection”, she says. Only three years later did she choose to continue with her own business.

“He became my son, who grew up and won the world. Now I’m the mother of a big child, but even with more functions, I don’t take my eye off the other tasks.” The entrepreneurial side took him to historic moments. He was one of the six journalists who were present at the press conference given by Beyoncé in Brazil, in 2013. He entered live from the red carpet of the Oscars, in Los Angeles, by GNT – he had received the invitation only the day before. “I went with my face and courage. I kept saying to myself, ‘Pretend it’s just a Snapchat video.’

Along the way, there have been many successes, but it is clear that mistakes have also occurred. At first, the conflict was with TV Globo. He realized, still inside the station, that he could not comment on some programs as before. “It was unethical to criticize the house product. I started to take it easy. And I think the company adapted too, because it was a new situation for both sides,” he says.

Bruno recently had his Instagram account taken down due to image rights issues. In a note published on his website, he explained that this happened because some photos used to disseminate news, even credited, were claimed by the authors. “I’m quite self-critical, but I don’t see a problem with deconstructing myself, with making mistakes. I don’t take myself that seriously.” The right one, by the way, annoys Bruno. He loves situations where the exchange with the public is, as he says, more “humanized”. “You know when Willian Bonner laughs in the air?”, he explains.

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He has already said that he does not like the term digital influencer because he does not believe that he influences people. He also swears he’s not famous. But he admits that he is sometimes stopped on the street or in the mall by admirers of his work. “They create a relationship because I’m there on the cell phone screen. They ask about my dog, the staff.” At home, the family did not find this public interest strange. “I don’t think they even understood”, mocks Bruno. His mother, Nailda, always knew that her son had potential and she was the one who encouraged him the most in moments of fear and uncertainty. Today they live far away, but they always talk on the phone. He stays in Rio and she in Brasilia.

Bruno shares most of his free time with his boyfriend, a lawyer who avoids public life. Together for two years, they teach each other a lot. “For him, who lives the routine, my world is light, different.” With the pair, Bruno learned that the relationship is not part of the Hugo Gloss persona. “There are a lot of people who want to get close just to show off; with him it was just the opposite”, he reveals. In addition, the Brazilian believes that they have goals in common, but that they do not enter into competition for who will achieve more. “You can’t sleep with the enemy. Better leave it to Julia Roberts”, he jokes, referring to the film Sleeping with the Enemy (1991).

Those hours away from the spotlight are important to him. “I’m a Sagittarius. I get tired of everything all of a sudden, but nothing that a night’s sleep can’t cure”, he says, reassuring fans that he and his team will continue to produce content for much longer.

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Visual design: Juliana Bueno | Styling: Rodrigo Pollack | Styling Assistant: Ana Ballestreros | Beauty: Carlos Rosa/Capa MGT | Photography assistant: Christopher Tome

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